Law Society of Scotland exams

Pre-PEAT trainees must pass the following subject:

1. Scottish Legal System and Legal Method
2. Public Law
3. Property Law and Conveyancing
4. Law Of Obligations
5. Family Law
6. Trusts And Succession
7. Evidence
8. Scots Criminal Law
9. European Union Law
10. Scots Commercial Law
11. Business Organisations
12. Work Based Module

For information on applying for exemptions from these exams, including exemptions granted "by right", please see our Exam Policies and Processes webpage.

Full details of the syllabus, assessments and reading lists for each subject can be found in the document below.

     Pre-PEAT Exam Syllabus

Work Based Learning Module

The pre-PEAT exam syllabus currently identifies that candidates require to pass a work based learning module. The focus within the work-based learning module is upon candidates producing evidence of learning outcomes which are set out in the module guide.

• Module Guide
• Logbook
• Example Logbook

Non-PEAT 1 trainees must pass the following subjects:

1. Accounting
2. Procedure
3. Professional Responsibility

For information on applying for exemptions from these exams, including exemptions granted "by right", please see our Exam Policies and Processes webpage.

Full details of the syllabus, assessments and reading lists for each exam can be found in the document below.

     Non-PEAT 1 Exam Syllabus

Our exams are usually held in February and July.  The current exam timetable is below. 

   Exam calendar 2026

From the February 2027 diet, all pre-PEAT and non-PEAT 1 exams will take place in person. The exams will take place at two or three city locations in Scotland. These are likely to be Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and possibly Glasgow. We are currently finalising the exact locations and more information will be provided here soon.

Enrolments for an exam should be made no later than six weeks prior to the date of an exam.  Late enrolments may not be accepted. 

Any candidate who enrols for an exam and either fails to give at least seven days’ notice that they will not attend or does not have extenuating circumstances or cannot show reasonable cause for non-attendance, will be treated as having failed the exam.

The enrolment fee is £60 per exam.  If a resit is required, another enrolment fee must be paid. Once your enrolment form has been processed, you will receive an invoice shortly after, including payment instructions. Payment must be made within seven days of receipt of the invoice.

When enrolling for their first exam, candidates must also sign and submit the disclaimer at the end of the form.  This disclaimer is applicable to all future exams.  Candidates who don't return a signed disclaimer before the date of their first exam, will not be allowed to sit that or any other exam until a disclaimer is signed and returned.

Completed enrolment forms should be submitted to [email protected].

    Enrol for an exam now

Candidates must sit their first exam or exams within three years of the commencement of their training contract. Candidates will then have four years from the date of their first exam, in which to pass all the relevant Law Society exams.

Candidates have three attempts to pass each exam.

Any candidate who enrols for an exam and either fails to give at least seven days’ notice that they will not attend, or does not have reasonable cause for non-attendance, will be treated as having failed the exam.

Further clarification on numbers of attempts:

1. Any candidate who does not have a first attempt at an exam within the relevant time period will be deemed to have failed their first attempt at that exam or exams.
2. Any candidate who fails to pass all of their exams within the relevant time period, must attempt all outstanding exams at the next available diet. This will be the case until a candidate has used up all four of their attempts for each outstanding exam.

Note: This means that where a candidate does not have a first attempt at an exam within the relevant time period and is deemed to have failed their first attempt at that exam (as noted in paragraph 1 above), the “next available diet” noted in paragraph 2 above will be the candidate’s second attempt at that exam.

Pre-PEAT exam candidates are not permitted to undertake other subjects unless they have completed or are enrolled on Scottish Legal System and Legal Method. 

Candidates can otherwise attempt the remaining exams in whatever order they wish but candidates should note that some modules may be easier when completed after others.  For example, Scots Commercial Law builds on aspects of contract law examined in Law of Obligations. Candidates may find it useful to discuss the order in which they sit the examinations with their supervising solicitor, if applicable.

There is no specified order for the non-PEAT 1 exams.  Candidates may sit the exams in any order that they choose.